Tech Scout Challenge and Global Corporate Venturing Awards

This event brings together the best of British entrepreneurs, selected by UKTI's judges, seeking between £2m and £10m over the next year with their most promising and successful peers from round the world, chosen by applicants received and reviewed by the American Security Challenge. These 15 innovative technology companies provide solutions in the areas of information technology, social and digital media, financial services, and cyber security and energy technologies. We challenge them to spark your interest.

Their task: to convince a room of Fortune 500-scale corporations managing more than $5bn in invested or committed venture capital under management that they deserve the support and finance these corporate venturing units can bring to make them even more successful. (For the full descriptions of the finallists being presented and the biographies of the speakers, please see related content at the bottom.)

18.00 - 19.45 - Cocktails on the 7th floor terrace, hosted by Silicon Valley Bank (or downstairs at Baker Botts in case of rain), with presentation of awards for best practice in corporate venturing.

If you are interested in supporting this event by being a Corporate Partner and being involved in the selection process of Challenger Companies, please read this document for information.

If you are a tech company wishing to submit an application to present, click here for more information.

Gala Dinner celebrating the Global Corporate Venturing Awards. SOLD OUT

Monday May 14, 2012

Join us on the terrace of Silicon Valley Bank, opposite the Bank of England and the old London Stock Exchange building (called the Royal Exchange) for cocktails. Take in the fantastic view, meet your peers and old friends and celebrate best practice in the industry as we present the Global Corporate Venturing Awards before heading over to the Royal Exchange for a gala dinner to celebrate the corporate venturing industry's achievements over the past year.

Location: Silicon Valley Bank, 7th Floor, 41 Lothbury, EC2R 7HF

18.00 - 19.45 - Cocktails and presentation of awards for best practice in corporate venturing

20.00 - 23.00 - Dinner at Sauterelle, The Royal Exchange, London EC3V 3LR

After-dinner - exclusive entrance to the private members' club, Eight Bar, opposite the Royal Exchange. (Guests to the Gala Dinner and Symposium can use the club facilities during the day of the 14th with a special pass - please email jmawson@globalcorporateventuring.com for the unique offer.)

An examination of what has happened to deal flow as corporate venturing units play a more significant part of the investment in entrepreneurial companies as these nascent businesses innovate round the world instead of being concentrated in pockets, such as Silicon Valley. Innovation is becoming increasingly global but also many of the most significant trends will come from cross-sector connections, such as IT hardware being built on organisms or biofuels from algae.

The view from the top: If corporations are the one group (aside from some sovereigns) with cash-rich balance sheets, how do they use it to improve the assets of an economy using Open Innovation - as discussed by one of the industry pioneers from P&G's Connect + Develop?

How or whether (public and private equity) shareholders are increasingly starting to value longer-term value creation and encouraging the creation of corporate venturing units as a key tool in this process.

General Motors Venture - Transport & Logistics - kick-started venturing in its sector and highly-regarded programme widely followed by peers

Intel Capital - IT - $10bn invested in 20 years by a 200-strong team with unprecedented introductions between portfolio companies and Fortune 1000 companies - two new funds AppUp/UltraBook, global active.

Martin Haemmig - Cetim, for his work on emerging markets corporate venturing

Arvind Sodhani - Intel Capital, for value-added investing and showing the power and possibilities of cross-sectoral/regional investing and linking portfolio companies to Fortune 1000 companies as customers and suppliers.

Toshihisa Adachi - Itochu, for helping Japan rebuild its entrepreneurial ecosystem using corporate venturing as president of the JVCA, ahead of moves by US and UK trade bodies to put corporate venturing personnel on their main boards.

Mikhail Chuckevich - Bright Capital, for encouraging Russia's nascent corporate venturing market and international possibilities in the US